Cape Town rowers ready to rock across the Atlantic

FOUR Cape Town residents will take part in the 2018 Talisker Whisky Transatlantic Challenge next month.

The Talisker Whisky Transatlantic Challenge is a rowing race across the Atlantic Ocean stretching from the Canary Islands to the Caribbean. Team Mad4Waves, consisting of four

22-year-old Cape Town rowers, namely Cole

Barnard, Matthew

Boynton, Lee Gordon and Grant Soll, are the only South African team in this year’s competition.

The team have entered the competition to raise funds for underprivileged schools.

They hope to raise money to buy and donate 500 desks to impoverished primary schools in the province, as well as raise awareness for the impact that plastic waste has on the ocean.

The desks they purchase will be made of 50kg of recycled plastic.

Barnard, who acts as the team’s spokesperson, said they had undergone intense preparation for the event.

“We are hoping to take about 40 days for the crossing and so we hope to reach Antigua by late January or early February,” he said.

The event is widely considered to be one of the most extreme nautical races in the world, covering a distance of about 3 000 nautical miles (5 500km).

But Barnard is confident that his team can complete the intense trek across the Atlantic.

“The support received from our parents, friends and generous sponsors, together with the knowledge that we can ‘pay it forward’, will keep us motivated and rowing when the going gets tough,” he said.

The Talisker Whisky Transatlantic Challenge will kick off on November 23 from the Port of San Sebastian de la Gomera in the Canary Islands.

For more information about the Mad4Waves team, visit their social media pages on Facebook and Twitter, or visit their website, www.mad4waves.co.za

The support received from all together with the knowledge that we can ‘pay it forward’ will keep us motivated

CAPE Town team Mad4Waves will be rowing their way across the Atlantic next month.